Esther Chana’s Fabulous “I-Beat-Cancer” Ice Climb

Faith, optimism and the love of a community join forces to help a woman fight a near-fatal diagnosis.

I was devastated when I learned that my dear friend Esther Chana had stage 4 ovarian cancer. She is one of my favorite people in the world, and I am in very good company; her fan club overflows with people from our community.

Whether in person, over the phone or even via email, you can feel Esther Chana’s full attention, caring, wisdom, humor and love focused on you. She is a therapist and her psychological insights are so astute they are uncanny. Some years ago I confided a deeply troubling problem to her and we discussed it from time to time. She offered an utterly life-changing insight about my situation that no one whom I had taken into my confidence had thought of.

In her kitchen she has a refrigerator magnet that says, “As a matter of fact, I AM a rocket scientist!” because she did that too, before becoming a therapist.

When I first heard her news, I was angry at God. Hadn’t Esther Chana and her husband, Avraham, been through enough? Their trials were ongoing, sometimes numbing in their frequency. For years she had lived with chronic pain, the result of a serious car accident and the corrective surgeries that had left her with painful internal scar tissue. During the financial downturn beginning in 2009, her therapy practice was cut in half, and Avraham lost his job as well, entering a lengthy dry spell before he found adequate work again. Her aging parents had chronic health problems and Esther Chana was often by their side in the emergency room. A few months before her diagnosis, they were flooded out of their apartment for many months.

And far worse than all of those things put together, Esther Chana had lost her only child, Avital, when the toddler was less than two years old.

“No, not Esther Chana!” I cried out. “God, You give her test after test and she never complains. Who survives stage 4 ovarian cancer? She doesn’t deserve this! It’s not fair!”

Because Esther Chana was part of the lifeblood of our community – hosting Shavuot-night learning in her home, keeping an open house most Shabbat afternoons for the singles who flock to her for friendship, dating advice and even shidduch suggestions (she has made four successful matches so far), and hosting Yom Tov meals for up to 30 at a time – the women in our community instantly rose to help with anything and everything needed.

Team Stryker Is Born

Perel Dena gave Esther Chana weekly massages to help with her muscle pain. For an entire year, Ellie cooked macrobiotic and organic meals for Shabbat and Yom Tov. Sharon designed t-shirts, shopping bags and mugs that read “TEAM STRYKER” for all of “the troops.” Avraham suggested the name and the logo after the Stryker armored combat tank used by the U.S. military. Stryker was also the brand name of the hospital bed where Esther Chana lay during her stays at Cedars-Sinai Hospital. Above the tank were the last lines of Psalms 20 which is recited in times of distress.

Karin, another Team Stryker member, discovered a small article about ovarian cancer research in a magazine at a gym she had gone to on a whim. The information in that article led Esther Chana’s doctors to change her diagnosis from ovarian cancer to an undetermined type of cancer, still stage 4. Though the new type of cancer was even more aggressive than ovarian cancer, it was more responsive to treatment.

Esther Chana and her husband are close with Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, and at Avraham’s request, Rabbi Weinberg convened a gathering for her friends on Tisha B’Av, teaching us how to pray for a recovery. During the gathering, Rabbi Weinberg, who also has endured multiple, life-threatening medical challenges, asked us all to say why we felt we could not imagine life without Esther Chana, and suggested that we boldly “demand” that God heal her. Shmuel, a single man in his early 30’s who had converted to Judaism, offered, “Esther Chana and Avraham are my ‘Jewish parents,’ and I am counting on both of them to walk me down the aisle when I get married one day,” he said. This was one of the most powerful moments for me.

The surgery to remove Esther Chana’s cancer also removed half her stomach muscle. Her prognosis remained precarious. Still, she announced to her doctor, “When I get to my five-year mark clear of cancer, I’m going ice climbing in June Lake,” referring to a tiny mountain town in the Eastern Sierra Nevada mountains known for its skiing and where Esther Chana and Avraham loved to go each winter.

The doctor looked at her, paused, and then broke into a wide grin. “I think that’s fabulous!” he said.

“I know that suffering is supposed to be one way that God tells you He loves you,” Esther Chana once said to me. “I’m not angry and I’m not afraid, but I think I have enough love, thank you.”

She also told me, “One of the hardest things for me is having had to take so much from people when my impulse is to give all the time. This has been an important lesson for me.”

Climbing Ice

Slowly, slowly, Esther Chana healed. Cancer had wreaked havoc with her body but couldn’t touch her astounding optimism and steely resolve. Last year, she and Avraham walked Shmuel down the aisle at his wedding. And despite the heavy side effects from her surgery and aggressive chemotherapy, including chronic pain from neuropathy, gout and diabetes, she began training for her ice climb in June Lake. She went through four trainers before she settled on a Romanian athlete named Ciprian, who at first thought her goal was crazy. He soon saw that Esther Chana was seriously determined, and he believed in her.

Climbing ice

Two weeks after her climb, Esther Chana hosted a seuda hodaah, a celebratory meal of thanks marking an occasion we had all barely dared to dream we would see: five years cancer-free. “I never asked myself, ‘Why me?’ but ‘Why cancer?’” she told us that night. “I believe that pain is prescriptive. Sometimes I got frustrated and started to push away from God. I had to learn to accept what God was prescribing to be close to Him and accept it with gratitude. I got to a point of zero anxiety and fear. Ultimately, I got to a point where I accepted that for some reason, I needed the cancer to be close to Him.”

Avraham filmed his wife at the climb, and we watched it in their apartment that night. The snow was slushy from rain, making the climb that much more arduous. In her snow suit and boots, she was tethered by a harness to the belay rope, and smiled broadly at the camera as she looked up at the snowy heights. In the company of most of the other members of Team Stryker, I watched her take the inverted ice axes that she used as trekking poles and determinedly plunge them, one after the other, as she made a nearly vertical ascent.

Esther Chana and Avraham at Shmuel’s wedding

We all watched with tears of joy as we celebrated the remarkable recovery of a remarkable woman. Esther Chana, who hated the idea that she had become a taker and not a giver, may still not appreciate how much she continued to give all along. We witnessed her fortitude and willpower to heal, her steadfast commitment to grow and not become embittered, and her strengthened faith in the face of a nearly fatal illness.

Mazal Tov, Esther Chana. Team Stryker blesses you to live in good health till 120.

The opinions expressed in the comment section are the personal views of the commenters. Comments are moderated, so please keep it civil.

Visitor Comments: 11

(10)
Leslie Borshy,
March 21, 2017 2:47 AM

What an inspiring story. Esther Chana is truly a light unto the world.

(9)
EC Gordon,
March 20, 2017 1:31 AM

Thanks Everyone!

Thank you Judy for writing this article. It is amazing to read and it is hard to believe you were writing about me! And to those who have written comments, may Hashem bless each and every one of you with good health, achievable goals, and the drive to push forward in your life so that you can feel Hashem carrying you along the path you have chosen.

(8)
Miriam,
March 19, 2017 5:20 AM

A truly remarkable woman

As Judy so beautifully articulated, Esther Chana is an amazing woman who exudes positivity, strength, and warmth. It does not surprise me in the least that she achieved this remarkable feat. If anyone could do it, it's Esther Chana! Mazal tov in achieving this milestone.

(7)
Anonymous,
March 15, 2017 2:49 PM

real problems and fake problems

Last night my girlfriend announced she wanted to take a "break" and I was catatonic. Now I read about Esther Chana. I am such a fool not to appreciate what I have. I lost both my mother and sister to ovarian cancer, the latter back when a Stage Three diagnosis was terminal. Great to see medical challenges that end up on the high side...in more ways than one!

(6)
Sara Yoheved Rigler,
March 14, 2017 10:27 AM

Utterly inspiring!

Thank you, Judy Gruen, for sharing with us this remarkable story. In addition to the main point, I am inspired by how your community all stood up to help for such an extended period . I have seen this again and again in the Orthodox community. I don't know how people can live without community. And thank you, Esther Chana, for showing all of us what can be done with faith and love.

(5)
jim,
March 14, 2017 8:19 AM

wonderful wonderful

HaShem will say the rest at that time, remarkable human being!

(4)
Laura Goldmeier,
March 13, 2017 7:56 PM

Amazing

A story on how to persevere when times are tough. Thank you for sharing this.

(3)
Gila Manolson,
March 13, 2017 4:45 PM

beating cancer

The triumph of this woman's spirit is truly inspiring!

BTW, anyone who wants to try and beat cancer without chemo or radiation, check out fromcancertohealth.com. Mr. Avraham Safirstein, of blessed memory, was a religious Jew who help cure many, many people, including a close relative of mine, through alternative means based in solid scientific research. But whether a cure is effective or not, we should all have the spirit of this amazing woman and her ability to embrace life.

shoshana siegelman,
March 15, 2017 9:24 PM

thank you!

Incredible hashgacha pratis to see this information about the Safirstein approach today, as I am going tomorrow to be with a dear friend during her chemo. She is also facing the challenge of Stage 4 ovarian cancer, with great emunah, like Esther Chana. I can't wait to share this with her. Thank you, Gila.

(2)
Alyssa,
March 13, 2017 3:47 PM

amazing!

amazing amazing amazing!!!! May Esther Chana continue to have a determination of spirit, soul and a refuah shelama! What an incredible inspiration for us all !

I always loved the story of Jonah and the whale. Why do we read it during the afternoon service of Yom Kippur?

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

Let's recap the story: God tells Jonah to go to Ninveh and to prophesy that in 40 days, God will destroy the city. Instead, Jonah goes to Jaffa, boards a ship, and sails for Tarshish. A great storm arises. Frightened, Jonah goes to sleep in the ship's hold. The sailors somehow recognize that Jonah is responsible for the storm. They throw him overboard, and the sea becomes calm.

A great fish swallows Jonah. Then three days later, God commands the fish to spit Jonah back out upon dry land. God tells Jonah, "Let's try it again. Go to Ninveh and tell them in 40 days I will destroy the city."

The story is a metaphor for our struggle for clarity. Jonah is the soul. The soul is assigned to sanctify the world, and draw it close to God. But we are seduced by the world's beauty. (Jaffa in Hebrew means "beauty.") The ship is the body, the sea is the world, and the storm is life's pains and troubles. God hopes confrontation with mortality will inspire us to examine our lives. But Jonah's is the more common response - we go to sleep (have a beer, turn on the television). The sailors throw Jonah overboard - this is death. The fish that swallows Jonah is the grave. Jonah is spat back upon the land - reincarnation. And the Almighty tells us to try again. "Go sanctify the world and bring it close to God."

Each of us is born with an opportunity and a challenge. We each have unique gifts to offer the world and unique challenges to perfect ourselves. If we leave the task unfinished the first time, we get a second chance. Jonah teaches us that repentance can reverse a harsh decree. If the residents of Ninveh had the ability to correct their mistakes and do teshuva, how much more so do we have the ability to correct our former mistakes and do teshuva.

(source: "The Bible for the Clueless But Curious," by Rabbi Nachum Braverman)

In 1948, Egypt launched a large-scale offensive against the Negev region of Israel. This was part of the War of Independence, an attack by five Arab armies designed to "drive the Jews into the sea." Though the Jews were under-armed, untrained, and few in number, through ingenuity and perseverance they staved off the attacks and secured the borders. Yet the price was high -- Israel lost 6,373 of its people, a full one percent of the Jewish population of Israel at the time.

And what does teshuvah consist of? [Repentance to the degree] that the One Who knows all that is hidden will testify that he will never again repeat this sin(Maimonides, Laws of Teshuvah 2:2).

"How can this be?" ask the commentaries. "Inasmuch as man always has free choice to do good or evil, to sin or not to sin, how can God testify that a person will never repeat a particular sin? Is this not a repudiation of one's free will?"

The answer to this came to me at a meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous, at which the speaker, a man who had been sober for twenty-one years, said, "The man I was drank. The man I was will drink again. But now I am a different man."

A sin does not occur in a vacuum. A person who is devout does not abruptly decide to eat treifah. A sin occurs when a person is in such a state that a particular act is not anathema to him.

Consequently, repentance is not complete if one merely regrets having done wrong. One must ask, "How did this sin ever come about? In what kind of a state was I that permitted me to commit this sin?"

True repentance thus consists of changing one's character to the point where, as the person is now, one can no longer even consider doing the forbidden act. Of course, the person's character may deteriorate - and if it does, he may sin again.

God does not testify that the person will never repeat the sin, but rather that his degree of repentance and correction of his character defects are such that, as long as he maintains his new status, he will not commit that sin.

Today I shall...

try to understand how I came to do those things that I regret having done, and bring myself to a state where such acts will be alien to me.

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